Wingate, N.C.----The top-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Southeast Regional championship match for the first time since 2012 thanks to a 3-0 victory over fourth-seeded Limestone College in NCAA Division II men's soccer action Sunday afternoon. Wingate improves to 15-1 overall, while Limestone ends its season at 16-4.

With the win, the Bulldogs are on to the regional title match Friday. Wingate will host both the South and Southeast Region championship matches on Friday. The winner of those two contests will meet Sunday in the National Quarterfinals at Pride Park. The Bulldogs will face eighth-ranked and defending national champion Pfeiffer in Friday's region title match.

The first half went scoreless, with the Bulldogs out-shooting the Saints 6-4. Wingate had a pair of good chances, with the first coming in the 18th minute when a header from Elma N'For (Yaoundé, Cameroon) off an Aksel Juul (Newcastle, England) corner was saved by Limestone keeper Greg Purvis. Nate Evans (Greenville, N.C.) ripped a shot from the top of the box in the 35th minute, but Purvis was there again for a diving save.

The Bulldogs wasted no time getting on the board after intermission, scoring twice in the first eight minutes of the second half. Junior midfielder Callum Ross (Newcastle, England) scored the first goal five minutes after halftime, taking a feed from freshman Oscar Perez (Alcaaiz, Spain) and lining one from five yards outside the box into the left corner, his eighth goal of the year to make it 1-0.

The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead just two minutes later, when junior Jon Ander (Bilbao, Spain) used a series of moves through the box to get past the defense, then lined one into the opposite corner to make it 2-0.

Ander added an insurance goal in the 72nd minute, taking a feed from Juul and touching it past the defense, then beating the keeper one-on-one for his seventh goal of the year to make it 3-0.

Wingate ended the day with a 14-8 advantage in shots, holding a 9-2 edge in shots on goal. Ander led all players with five goals, including three shots on goal.

All-American goalkeeper Pablo Jara (Santiago, Chile) had a pair of saves to preserve his eighth shutout of the season. Purvis collected six saves for the Saints.

The Bulldogs will host eighth-ranked Pfeiffer Friday in the NCAA Southeast Regional championship match. The Falcons rallied for a 2-1 victory over Wingate in last year's regional title match in Pfeiffer en route to a national title. Wingate will also host the South Region championship match on Friday. That contest will feature Tampa and the winner of Sunday afternoon's Palm Beach Atlantic vs. Florida Tech match. The winner of the South Region will face the Southeast Region champion Sunday in Wingate. Game times will be announced later this week.